


What Flows Between Us

by tmariea (OccasionalArtist)



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: But something more than 'friends with benefits' would do justice, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, It's not quite romantic love, Kissing, M/M, Mikleo does quite a lot of missing Sorey too, Uno teaching Mikleo to swim, Which then grows into something more, fade to black smut, growing friendship, ruin exploring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-15 02:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13021218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccasionalArtist/pseuds/tmariea
Summary: For Mikleo, as Sorey sleeps the years can be long, and often lonely.  In Uno he finds a friend and confidant, someone he can talk to in ways he feels he cannot with his other friends and family.  From there it is only a step into something that can help fill some of Mikleo's other forms of loneliness, too.





	1. As Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pastelgabby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelgabby/gifts).



> So Gabby proposed the idea of Mikleo getting together with Uno during Sorey's sleep. I ended up getting taken with the idea too, that it would be good for him to have _someone_ to help pass the long years.
> 
> But anyway, here it is  
>  **HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAB**  
>  (it is still technically your bday in your time zone so my procrastination perhaps can be excused.

It had been years since Mikleo last set foot in the Sanctuary in Ladylake, but very little had changed.  Same stained glass, same altar, similar banners lining the walls which proclaimed dedication to the city and the Shepherd.  The one new addition was a pair of banners at the front of the room, flanking the bowl of sacred water, and decorated with the symbol of water seraphim, in honor of their Lord of the Land.

The man in question sat on the step before the altar, leaning back on his hands.  Beside him was an old, leather-bound book, currently closed.  Uno’s attention was directed instead toward a priest standing before one of the Shepherd’s banners, explaining to a young girl and her father the story of a Shepherd from hundreds of years before Mikleo’s time.

“She’s a sweet child,” Uno said, without looking away.  “And her resonance is high.  Sometimes she has been able to see me or speak with me, but it is sporadic.  With the right teaching, she could perhaps one day be a Shepherd.  Or join the priesthood if that is more her path.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mikleo replied, equally distracted by the child.  There were still few enough people who could see seraphim that it was a cause for celebration.  But he couldn’t help but picture a tiny Sorey in her shoes.  A fragment of memory danced through his thoughts, of Sorey’s shining eyes as they looked up at Gramps while he told them similar stories.

He shook his head to clear it and glanced back at Uno.  And consequently, the altar, which still stood empty of its sacred blade.  Suddenly, Mikleo could hardly remember why he’d come in the first place; a lot of memories originated here, most of them bittersweet.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Uno asked.

“Um, sure,” Mikleo said, stumbling a bit on the reply.  He hadn’t expected the question.

“Wonderful.  I could use a good excuse to stretch my legs, breathe the air off the lake again.”  Uno stood and picked up his book.  He took it up the steps and laid it next to his vessel before joining Mikleo again.  He gestured before them in a ‘shall we?’ sort of motion.

Mikleo began to walk toward the door and Uno fell easily into step next to him.  “Doesn’t that worry people, moving things?” he asked.

Uno laughed lightly before saying, “A bit.  But the few in the priesthood who can see have explained to the others.  In a way it’s useful; it’s a good reminder that I am still here for those who can’t see.”  The small group before the banners turned to look as the door creaked open.  The little girl waved, and Uno waved back with a wide smile.

Out in the open, Uno took a deep breath, one that relaxed his shoulders.  “Of all the places for a water seraph to set up a domain, this is one of the best, I think.”  He raised a hand.  To any other observer, it wouldn’t look at if he was doing much.  But Mikleo could feel the bits of water in the air, too small to see with the eye, shifting and coming together to wrap around Uno like a blanket.  Then this invisible blanket extended to Mikleo, too, and he found himself letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

Uno winked.  “I can teach you that trick if you like,” he said, before he began to lead Mikleo down the street.  They walked in silence through the market square just before the sanctuary and the busy streets of the center of the city; the humans here provided plenty enough noise and distraction on their own.

As the crowds thinned out, Uno asked Mikleo about what he’d been up to since they last saw each other.  That had to have been over twenty years ago now, at Rose’s funeral.  It was almost a surprise to Mikleo himself to think that it had been that long since he’d stopped traveling consistently with humans.  But, with that much time between, there was plenty of exploring and writing and research to recount; he’d barely scratched the surface by the time they made their way through the gates and out onto the walkways along the lake.

Uno stepped up to the short retaining wall along the path and leaned his hip against it.  Mikleo mirrored his posture, and found that this put them facing each other rather than the water.

They were silent for a few moments, while Uno seemed to be turning something over in his mind.  Finally, he said, “Something is bothering you.”  It wasn’t a question.  “I won’t press, but I am more than willing to listen if you would like to talk about it.”

Mikleo’s eyes shifted away, to study the crumbling edge of a cobblestone.  Despite the light talk as they’d moved through the city, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinking of Sorey ever since that moment in the sanctuary.  It had been a while since last he found himself caught up in memories of his bright smile, his laugh, his warm arms.  It wasn’t that Mikleo had actively tried to forget – after all, how could he possibly forget? – but it was easier these days to keep his mind occupied elsewhere.

It was the kind of thing Mikleo liked to keep to himself.  But, Uno wasn’t Lailah or his family, who still fretted over him despite his insistence that it was not necessary.  Neither was he Edna or Zaveid, who wouldn’t let him hear the end of it for a good decade or more.

“I suppose, I suppose you could call it loneliness,” he finally settled on saying.

Uno nodded and his expression looked almost sad.  “Life as a Seraph is blessed in many ways – by the elements, by longevity – but for many of us it can be isolating.  It’s a singular experience, to stand in a crowd and have not one pair of eyes intentionally meet your own.”

That wasn’t quite the same type of loneliness he had been thinking of.  And yet, Mikleo was reminded of so many times when he’d felt as if he was standing on the outside looking in, how there had been a pair of green eyes then, to catch his at just the right moment and draw him back.  So perhaps they weren’t so unrelated after all.  He said, “Yes.” 

When he looked up now, the eyes that gazed back at him were blue and held a depth of understanding that made Mikleo glad he had spoken up.  He’d almost forgotten that Uno had cloaked him in his blanket of humidity until he felt the bits of water moving closer to him, in a way that was almost similar to a hug. 

“That is starting to change though, for the first time in many centuries.  Much of it thanks to both you and Sorey.”

Mikleo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, let the scents of the lake wash through his nose.  Uno was telling the truth.  That little girl had waved at them.  Beyond that, he could feel the change in the air.  It was a tangible reminder that his separation from Sorey wasn’t in vain, that they were moving toward their goal however slowly.  He breathed out again, and opened his eyes as he did in time to see Uno’s smile.

“I am grateful for the ways that you are shaping the world.  And in the meantime, if you are lonely, I would be happy to offer my friendship, whenever you find yourself here.”

Ever since Rose’s death, Mikleo had spent quite a lot of time alone, engrossed in research and exploration.  Perhaps right now a friend would be just what he needed.  He smiled in reply and said, “Thank you, that would be wonderful.  Now, do you think you could teach me that trick?”

* * *

It was interesting, Mikleo thought as he sat at the end of the bridge into Ladylake with a pencil and notebook in hand, how much a place could change in so little time.  He had a singular sort of perspective, returning the city anywhere from twice a year to every few and usually only staying for a few weeks at a time to visit Uno.  It made the changes stand out more to him than if he had lived alongside the progress.

About two visits ago he’d decided to start recording the changes.  This time he could see a few shops at the end of the bridge into the city; merchants had started to build platforms off the sides and piers around the edges of the city walls in absence of space to grow within.  There was also a large silhouette missing from the far edge of the city, in near the fringes of the Nobles District.  Uno had talked about the fire in one of his letters – he had helped to put it out but not before the structural integrity of the building had been irreparably damaged.

Mikleo finished his sketch and stashed his book in his bag before heading down the bridge.  Inside the city there were more small changes to be noted.  It meant he was rarely bored when he visited; there were always new things for Uno to show him, with a smile and pride in his voice for his city.

Today, Uno was outside the Sanctuary waiting for him.  He came down the steps as Mikleo approached, and they fell into step, heading back out into town.  “It’s good to see you,” Uno said, “And your hair looks nice.  Are you going to grow it out?”

Mikleo reached a hand up to play self-consciously with the ends of his hair that hung just above his shoulders.  “Lailah’s been after me about it for a while.  She says it will suit me, but I think she’s just looking for someone who will put up with her playing with their hair.  Edna and Zaveid surely don’t.”

Uno’s face contorted with the thought before he started laughing.  “I haven’t met Zaveid often, but I can only imagine how he would look with braids.”

It took a bit of work to picture how it would look, but before long he was doubled over laughing as well.  Finally he collected himself enough to say, “I need to win a bet against him someday, so I can demand to see this.”

“Please do.”

Mikleo insisted they start walking again at that point, because there was at least one person looking at them strangely on the street.  Another didn’t seem to see them, but was looking around in confusion for the source of the disembodied laughter.  He supposed that was one downside to more humans being able to see them – more chances to embarrass himself in public.  He could feel that his cheeks were pink, despite how many years he’d tried to keep that from happening.

Thankfully, Uno didn’t comment on it.  Instead he said, “I know you enjoy eating.  Would you be interested in getting some food?”

“Um, alright,” Mikleo said, slightly confused by the offer.

“I met a woman with high resonance who owns a restaurant in town,” Uno elaborated, “She came into the Sanctuary to pray for the success of her business.”

“That sounds lovely then.”

Uno directed them down a side street that lead out toward the Ladylake walls.  The houses and shops here were more modest than those near the Sanctuary, but the streets bustled with life.  The building that they stopped in front of was similarly small but looked well kept, with flowers in a box in front of the window.  Uno touched a finger to the soil, and Mikleo could sense a thin trickle of water flowing across the roots of the plants.

The inside of the restaurant boasted a handful of tables, nearly all of which were full, and a bar separating the kitchen space from the seating space.  Behind the bar was a woman that Mikleo would guess was in her forties; she had the beginning of crow’s feet around her eyes and lines around her mouth, but her tied-back brown hair still looked richly colored.  She blinked for a moment as she took notice of them standing in the doorway, and then threw her arms open wide with an exaggerated call of, “Master Uno, welcome!”

Uno seemed unbothered by this boisterous greeting, although a fair few of the diners were looking toward the woman in surprise at her sudden outburst.  The two of them walked up to the counter, where the woman beckoned them.  “Hello Lena.  Please, just call me Uno.  I did say I would come by, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did.  And you brought a young friend,” she peered around Uno, who’s hand she’d taken to shake and not let go of yet, to look at Mikleo.

“Lena, this is Mikleo,” Uno introduced, and shifted to the side.  “Mikleo, Lena.”

She squinted her eyes for a moment, before dropping Uno’s hand suddenly and offering hers to Mikleo to shake.  He was a bit dubious of what would come of it, but he reached out to clasp the hand anyway.  Lena pumped his arm up and down twice but then thankfully let him free.

“You can’t possibly mean _the_ Mikleo?  The one from the stories?” She asked, and then, without waiting for an answer barreled on, “Why you look no more than a year or two older than my own son, and blush just as easily too.”

Mikleo quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and Lena laughed.  “Here, take a seat at the bar, and I’ll make you some lunch,” she suggested, and gestured toward two seats down toward the end, where they would be less at risk of running into patrons who couldn’t see them.  “I never thought I’d wind up with a legend in my shop.”

“Legend?” Mikleo hissed in Uno’s direction as they made their way toward their seats.

The edges of Uno’s eyes were crinkled up in amusement as he replied.  “Surely you know about the stories.”

“Well, yes.  But I didn’t know they qualified for legendary status.”

“Can’t say I wasn’t surprised about Master Uno here either,” Lena continued as she followed them down the bar, as if there had never been a break in the conversation at all.  “The Legends about the patron seraph around here always talk about a Lady of the Lake.”

Mikleo was pleased to see that Uno flushed just a bit too, as he mumbled under his breath, “She’s mostly away on business.”

The food was lovely, and Mikleo found himself incredibly grateful that they had gone.  The last time he ate in a human establishment must have been since before Rose passed away.  Even with his own cooking abilities, he had fallen out of the habit of eating often in the absence of anyone to share meals with.  And Lena certainly provided plenty of company.  She stayed close by while they ate, barely looking at her hands while she prepared ingredients for dinner.  She talked more about her son, about the neighborhood and about her business.  She gave Uno a wink and a nudge for the success of his blessing, which had him flushing that same tiny bit again.  But he looked pleased at her success, and to hear about how fared people in his city.

By the time they left, it was late afternoon and the light was starting to fade in the neighborhood, given how close it was to the city wall.

“Did you ever ask Lena, has she always had the ability to see seraphim?” Mikleo asked, as they walked toward parts of town that might still have some lingering bit of daylight.

“No.  When we first met, she said that was the first time she’d ever seen a seraph, even though she’d been coming to the Sanctuary for years.”

“How interesting.  I wonder how there can be a spontaneous rise in resonance in an individual like that.”  It was one more thing Mikleo would have to research.  They were walking thought a square with a small fountain in the center now, one he was sure hadn’t been there on his last visit.  He sat on the edge of it, intending to pause and think of where he might find resources on the subject.  Instead, the words that came out of his mouth were, “It’s incredible how fast things can change.”

Uno sat next to him, and gave him a knowing look.  “It can be.  But think how much good can come of it.”

Mikleo reached up to fidget with the edges of his hair.  The changes in his own appearance had been on his mind, too, ever since Lena had compared him to her son.  He’d spent so many years looking young, almost the same as when he first set out with Sorey.  He’d grown a little taller, that was the part that bothered him the least; if he could be taller than Sorey someday wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake?  But when he looked in the mirror he could also see that his shoulders were just a bit broader, and his face was changing ever so slightly.

There was a deep ache in his chest that he did his best to ignore, to think that he was growing up but this time without Sorey at his side.  Would he still look like himself when his body settled into the new shapes it had planned for him?  Would he be recognizable?  He couldn’t help but wonder, too, if Sorey had grown in his sleep, or if he would return to the world looking exactly the same as the day he had left.

“Mikleo, look at me,” Uno instructed, breaking him out of the cycle of his thoughts.

He blinked, forcing his eyes to focus on Uno’s blue ones, which were gazing at him with concern.  Then he followed that gaze with his own as they traveled down to where his hands were clenched around the edges of the stone.  Water had trickled up the edge of the fountain and started to freeze under his palms.  He brought them up to blow on them; the ice melted away instantly, and cold water dripped into his sleeves.  “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Uno reassured.  Then, sounding as if he was only musing on the facts, said, “Seraphim growth is much different.  It’s a reflection of our power, the way we see ourselves, the way we have matured mentally.  We can halt the flow of time for ourselves before it is due, but at great personal cost.  I can’t say it’s the wisest or healthiest decision.”

As Uno spoke, Mikleo cautiously turned back.  At first he was leaning on his hands and staring up at the sky, but almost immediately looked down to meet Mikleo’s eyes again.  “I’m proud of you.”

Mikleo’s gaze skittered off again, just as quickly, as he brought a hand up to cover his mouth and cheeks.  Of all the things that he could have gotten rid of in this strange growth spurt, he would have preferred it to be that damn blush.  “I hadn’t thought of it that way before.”

“No?  Well, that’s what friends are here for, I suppose.  Besides, when something is new, doesn’t that just mean that there is more to explore?”

“Yeah that, that sounds good.”

* * *

 

The Sanctuary was empty at night, devoid of any signs of life, including its guardian seraph.  Mikleo couldn’t say he’d known what to expect, but somehow that hadn’t been it.  The room looked so much bigger like this, despite the fact that he rarely saw it crowded, either.

Moonlight filtered gently through the tall windows.  It cast the room in soft grey light and blue grey shadows that grew fuzzy around the edges.  It fell across the floor in the pattern of panes, disturbed for only a moment by Mikleo’s own shadow passing through as he walked toward the dias.  Here there was other light.  A blue glow emanated from the bowl of sacred water and cast bright blue ripples up the back wall, making it look as if that portion of the room belonged to an underwater cave more than to a city temple.

Mikleo sat on the steps, facing out toward the room.  They matched, he thought wryly, him and this abandoned place with its colors all washed out.

He felt lost.  It had been an anniversary, one hundred years since Sorey went to sleep.  He had gone to Camlann, spent a week there writing and drawing and speaking to Sorey.  Eventually the restless need to be somewhere else had crept up his spine and he had left, not entirely sure where to go.  His feet had led him here, down to the lake, across the bridge, and into the Sanctuary in the dead of night.

“Mikleo, I wasn’t expecting you at this kind of hour,” said a voice to his left.  He turned to see Uno sitting next to him on the step and looking at him curiously.  He must have been resting inside his vessel before.

“Uno I,” Mikleo began, and felt himself leaning to the side, almost instinctively toward the warmth of another person.  He turned slightly at the last second so he could hide his face against Uno’s shoulder.  “Can I just stay like this for a moment?”

An arm came up around his back, and then after a moment when he didn’t object, another.  His own hands found their way to Uno’s upper arms and clung onto the fabric hard.

“Take all the time you need.”


	2. As Something More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hadn't quite intended for things to work out this way, but it is fortuitous at any rate - MERRY CHRISTMAS GABBY

“So I heard you don’t know how to swim.”

Those were the first words that greeted Mikleo when he walked through the doors of the Sanctuary.  Uno was leaning casually against the altar, as if he’d been waiting for the moment he got to say that.  Mikleo wasn’t sure Uno had it in him to look smug, but he did certainly look pleased.

“Two years since I’ve last been here and that’s how you say hello?”

“I feel that it is an affront to your education as a water seraph.  One that we need to remedy immediately.”

“I’m doing well, thanks.  It’s good to see you too, Uno,” Mikleo continued on with his one-sided conversation.

“I will have to have a stern talk with Kyme whenever next we meet.  But, at any rate, what do you think?  We could make an afternoon of it.”

Mikleo sighed and decided his train of (mostly) pretend annoyance wasn’t worth pursuing.  Uno wasn’t going to be bothered by it, nor did it seem like he would drop his subject.  “Why in the world would I need to know how to swim?  We can’t drown, and I can navigate just fine in the water by use of artes.”

“It’s a new way of interacting with our element.  Doesn’t that interest you?” Uno prodded.

Mikleo couldn’t help but be intrigued.  But he had his pride to think of, and so he said, “A bit, I suppose, but I’m not going to humiliate myself flopping around in the water like an overgrown child when I can command it.”  He crossed his arms in a way that he hoped would hammer home the point that his mind couldn’t be changed.

“That really is a shame,” Uno said, and he sounded genuinely disappointed.  But as he spoke, his tone started to slide more and more into teasing, “because I know of a part of the underground aqueduct system which has been completely flooded.  Judging by the condition of the space I can feel with my domain I’d say no one has been down there in a couple hundred years at least.  But, I can tell it’s unstable; any superfluous use of artes might bring the whole thing crashing down.”

“What?  Why didn’t you tell me about this place before?”

Uno’s grin was wide when he replied, “Well, you didn’t know how to swim.”

Which is how Mikleo found himself on the far shore of the lake, hidden mostly from view by the thick woods beyond their small beach clearing.  He had the sense to insist, at least, on coming out here for the lesson.  There was no point in ruining the reputation he might have with the humans in town who had enough resonance to see him.  Although, if Uno knew he couldn't swim, that meant that Edna had been through recently, and any reputation he may have hoped to have was forfeit anyway.

“This is humiliating,” he reiterated.  Uno was already standing up to his waist in the water, while Mikleo remained on the beach.  He’d had no good clothes to swim in, and they knew of no shops to buy some where someone would be able to talk to them.  So he was in a pair of sleep shorts and a blush.

“And who is there here to humiliate you?” Uno asked as he started to back up further into the water.  “Now come on, the faster we start, the faster we can go to the aqueducts.”

Mikleo treated him to a long-suffering sigh and began to walk into the water.  He hadn't seen many human swimmers out here, and he quickly found out why; the lake was fed at least in part by snowmelt, perhaps even from all the way up in Elysia.  It wasn't anything that might bother two water seraphim, but a human would find it horribly uncomfortable.

By the time Mikleo reached Uno, they were both about up to their chest in the water.  He took Mikleo’s hands, then, to lead him out even further. Before long, the water would be up to his chin. His normal impulse would be to just keep walking in like normal, but Uno said, “Alright, and now you need to try to float by treading water. And no artes.”

Uno demonstrated what that would look like, mostly a lot of small kicks, and then towed him out into even deeper water. Mikleo’s toes angled down so that they just brushed the sand and loose stones at the bottom of the lake. Then the bottom was gone, and he spread his arms and started to kick.  At first Uno stayed close, hands at the ready to correct or catch if Mikleo started to sink.  After a moment of stable motion, he moved back, letting Mikleo stay up entirely on his own.

Mikleo was struck then by the childish urge to shout, “Look, I’m swimming!” but he held himself back at the last moment.  He was smiling thought, as wide as could be, and Uno returned his grin in congratulations.  So this was one of the ways that humans interacted with their element.  Despite his earlier denials, it was fascinating.

“Nice start,” Uno told him.  “Now, on to some real swimming.”

By the time most of the afternoon was gone, and Mikleo was starting to feel a bit more confident in the water without any arte assistance.  He felt as if he’d entirely mastered treading water, and floating, not that either of those skills took much work, and had made headway on what Uno had called the basic breaststroke.  

They’d been cutting cross-wise laps past their beach for long enough for Mikleo’s arms start to burn, although he certainly thanked all of his staff-fighting training for helping to prepare his arms for this.  He’d just stopped and turned in the water, looking for Uno in order to call it a day, when he felt an odd current against his feet.  This was all the warning he got before he was twirled about in an involuntary summersault in the water.  He saw his feet go over his head and a lot of bubbles from the sudden movement.

Mikleo was released immediately after, and he sputtered to the surface, spitting out lake water and turning himself about to see the source of the disturbance.  His heart hammered, worried that a hellion had somehow crept up on them.  But how?  They were still inside Uno’s domain.

That was when he caught sight of Uno’s face.  He had better lying skills and thus a better ‘who me?’ face than Sorey, but it was not difficult to pinpoint the culprit.

“You said no artes!” Mikleo yelled across the water.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” Uno replied, casual as could be.

“Oh, that sounds like a challenge.”  Mikleo readied himself to shift from moving about in the water with his own body to his artes.

“Could be.”

Without warning, Mikleo dropped underwater and propelled himself forward.  He moved fast enough that Uno couldn’t get out of the way and he caught his feet, turning him top over teakettle the same as he had been.  As soon as Uno righted himself and they came face to face again underwater, Mikleo said, “You’re on.”

They wouldn’t return to the city until it was sundown, when the lack of light forced them out of the water.

 

It took nearly a week of daily practice before Uno declared Mikleo adequate enough at swimming to take him down to the aqueducts.  It was honestly longer than Mikleo had planned to stay this visit, but he couldn’t complain.  He had no pressing needs to be elsewhere, and the time they didn’t spend swimming was dedicated to trying restaurants in town where there was anyone on staff who could see seraphim, and reading his way through Hyland’s libraries.  The Sanctuary had been working expanding their collection of religious texts into a proper library, too, along with Uno’s assistance.  He was determined to make headway into those books as well.

When the day finally came when they would get to explore, Uno led Mikleo out to a small walkway outside the wall just off of the northeast quarter of the city.  From the look of the worn stone and planks on the small ledge, the area must have been originally intended for service, and not used frequently after that.

Together they sat on the edge, and then dropped into the water.  The lake was clear enough that they could see as they swam down toward the rough opening into the stone beneath the walls.  But the light quickly faded once inside.  When they could hardly make out each other’s faces anymore, Uno held up a hand and let a glowing sphere of mana coalesce over his palm.

“Hey, I thought you said we couldn’t use any artes down here!” Mikleo exclaimed, indignant that Uno might have lied to him in order to make him accept swimming lessons.

Uno laughed.  Thanks to their affinity with the water, it sounded just as clear as their words.  “I said no _major_ artes.  A tiny mana light isn’t going to disturb anything.  It will be much harder to explore what we can’t see.”

“I suppose so.”

“Besides, your swimming is really coming along.  Only a bit more practice and maybe we could take a trip out to swim in the ocean someday.”

Mikleo was glad Uno’s light cast everything in a blue glow; it would make it much harder to see how he had paled.  “In your dreams.”

Uno laughed again, and beckoned Mikleo further down the tunnel.

These spaces were nowhere near as grand as the Vivia Aqueducts with their towering ceilings and carefully carved pathways.  Instead, the walls were rough-hewn and circular, rather than the smooth corners of the aqueducts he knew.  The ceiling was barely high enough if they had been walking upright, and the floor uneven.  Mikleo was actually glad to be swimming; he surely would have tripped somewhere along the way otherwise.  But, the imperfections in the walls and floor did have their uses.  It would be much easier to navigate their way back out to the lake since every crossing they passed was distinct from the next.

“You know, I think these might have been sewer tunnels, not aqueducts,” Mikleo said.  He paused to maneuver in the water until he could reach for something on the floor that had caught his eye.  He held it triumphantly up to the light so Uno could better see.  It was a piece of broken pottery.  He stooped again and this time brought up a piece of rusted metal which looked like it may have once been some sort of tool, but the uneven edges said that it was probably broken as well.  “These seem as if someone might have thrown them away.  It’s the sort of thing that tends to wash up with the waste.”

Uno took the piece of pottery so he could turn it over in his palm.  Then he turned to the wall and ran his fingers down the uneven texture.  “Huh, they very well could be.  I wonder if there might be records anywhere of such a sewage system.”

“It could be worth looking into.  At any rate, I would like more evidence before calling that a firm conclusion.  Also, do you have any idea why these tunnels flooded?”  Mikleo asked, as they resumed swimming further into the network.

Uno shook his head.  “Not specifically, no.  But the better question might be how they were kept dry in the first place, given they are below the water level of the lake.”

“That is a good question.  Do you think the level of the lake could have been lower at one point?”

“It’s a possibility.  Or perhaps it was accomplished with artes, a blessing and technique long lost.”

“Hmm, perhaps,” Mikleo replied absently.  His attention had been drawn instead to the stone of the walls themselves at the latest juncture, looking for anything that might have indicated a previous water level or the like.  There did not seem to be such a mark, but he did beckon for Uno to bring the light closer.  “You know, I think this is actually a different stone from that used to build the Vivia.  I wish we had an earth seraph to confirm – _don’t tell Edna I said that_ – but it looks as if it might be older.”

They continued on down the tunnel.  Mikleo made his own light so that the both of them could keep a closer eye on the walls and their condition.  They’d passed two more places where tunnels came together when Mikleo called for Uno to come look at what he’d found.  There was a mark carved into the wall, the shapes and lines worn away by time and water, making it hard to tell what it had originally been.

But, even as indistinct as the carving was, it looked almost like… “A royal crest!”  Mikleo shouted, without even looking to see if his exploring partner had followed.  He ran his fingers carefully across the stone, ready to jump back at the first sign of a trap, but also hoping he might be able to discover more of it by touch.  “But this doesn’t look like the crest of the Hyland royal family.  I’m not certain I’ve even seen this crest before, not in any Hyland history book for certain.  What could it mean?  Different tunnels, old stone, and an unknown crest?”

Mikleo took a step back so he could survey the mark at a different angle, and put his hand to his chin.  Theories and probabilities spun in his head.  “Now this is sort of a wild guess, but what if there was something here before the Ladylake we know it to be today?  That could fit with the stylistic anomalies, and possibly even with these tunnels being flooded – what if these were abandoned as the new city was built on top?”

He would have to do research, explore the tunnels inch by inch for more crests to see if any had a better image, speak with earth seraphim about the origins of the stone.  Even if his theory wasn’t even close to correct, Mikleo was still thrilled.  This crest could be a piece of history that had been missing and forgotten for who knows how many ages, the kind of discovery he and Sorey had always dreamed of making.  He spun in the water, creating a cloud of bubbles around him, and came face-to-face with Uno.

He had been so caught up that for a moment, one moment of ruin exploration and discovery and excitement that was _so similar_ to the way things used to be, he had forgotten that the man standing behind him wasn’t Sorey.  He felt himself sinking in the water until his feet came to rest on the uneven tunnel floor.  His body felt as if it weighed as much as if he was made of stone.

For that glorious moment he’d believed he would hear Sorey start to complain about Mikleo making it to the discovery first.  The whining had never been all that becoming, but well worth it in later years as Sorey had picked up the habit of gathering Mikleo up in his arms once he was done complaining, and whispering, ‘congratulations,’ against his lips.

Mikleo had never had problems with getting cold in the water before, but Lords if it didn’t feel as if he was going to freeze.

“Is something the matter?” Uno asked, looking closely at him with perceptive eyes.

Mikleo folded one arm across his middle and held onto his other elbow.  He couldn’t meet Uno’s eyes as he said, “I’m still lonely.”  Then, realizing how that might have sounded, his head snapped up again and he rushed to add, “Not that you’re not good company, because you are, and I do enjoy the time we spend together –”

“But it is a different kind of loneliness,” Uno finished for him.

There was an understanding on his face that made Mikleo sag with relief.  He nodded slightly.

Uno took a step closer, close enough to reach out and take Mikleo’s hand away from where it was still clutching his arm.  Then, carefully, as if he expected Mikleo to startle, he raised his other hand and laid it gently against his cheek.  “If you would ever like, I can help with that kind of loneliness, too.”

Mikleo felt something like a strangled sob trying to work its way out of his chest, and he leaned into the warmth of the touch.  His heart was beating hard, with something a little like excitement, and a lot like anxiety.  He hadn’t thought of Uno like that before, but he couldn’t deny that he did mean a lot to him, or that the idea of being with another person again had set a little thrill of anticipation in his stomach.

But, Uno wasn’t Sorey.  Could he be with someone who wasn’t Sorey?  Could he be with someone who he didn’t love in the same way as he Sorey?  And, he knew he could never love anyone in the same way he loved Sorey.

“I-I’m not sure.  Not yet.”  He felt like he hadn’t done a good job of disguising the tremble in his voice.  But, he lifted his free hand to cover Uno’s on his cheek.  “But for now, this is nice.”

Uno smiled, and stroked a thumb across Mikleo’s cheekbone.  “That’s alright.  And my offer will remain, if you ever want to try in the future.” 

* * *

Six years gone since Mikleo’s last visit, and he really hadn’t expected this particular reunion to begin with Uno laughing at him.  Or, well, he wasn’t laughing out loud per say, but Mikleo could tell that he was holding it in by the crinkles around the corners of his eyes and mouth.  Mikleo wouldn’t say he stalked toward where Uno was standing near one of the large windows, no that would be too conspicuous.  But he did feel distinctly put out as he made his way over

“What, exactly, is so funny?” he demanded, doing his best not to sound like a petulant child.

“I’d wondered where you’d gotten off to for so long.  But, I should have known you would show up for the opening of a gallery housing Shepherd art.”

Mikleo stopped in his tracks, feeling confusion creasing his face.  “Gallery?”

“You haven’t heard of it then?”

He shook his head as he stepped up to stand next to Uno, and lean back on the windowsill.  He had an idea of why this was Uno’s perch for the day – the light from the window was warm on his back in contrast to the chill of early spring just outside.

They stood in silence for a while, Mikleo wasn’t sure how long, before Uno spoke up again.  “What have you been up to, these years?”

Mikleo leaned even further back with a sigh, so his head touched the glass.  The tie holding back his hair pressed against his scalp.  He knew that Uno meant nothing else by the question; he had always been filled with such kind, genuine curiosity about Mikleo’s life.  But that didn’t stop Mikleo from feeling a knot of guilt in his stomach as he spoke.  “It wasn’t anything in particular that’s kept me away this time.  I needed to put my thoughts in order about your offer.”

“Ah,” Uno began, and he sounded as if he felt guilty too.  “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, that’s not it at all.  It’s just not something I ever expected I’d need to think about.  Besides, remember, I said this was nice.”  Mikleo reached between them to take Uno’s hand.

Uno didn’t press for an answer, which Mikleo was grateful for, because he still wasn’t entirely sure of the answer himself.  But he’d found himself missing his friend, in his prolonged period away.

Instead, Uno turned his hand so he could better lace his fingers with Mikleo’s.  “So, shall we go to that gallery, then?”

“Yes, let’s,” Mikleo said, and pulled Uno forward by their linked hands. 

 

The gallery had been quite impressive.  It was housed in a converted mansion in the Nobles District, and boasted three stories full of painting and sculpture illuminated by the natural light from the towering windows.  Mikleo had kept Uno’s hand most of the time, except for when he would get excited and forget himself and rush on toward the next piece.   They always drifted back together though, and Uno seemed to enjoy the day no less for his more sedate way of showing it.  Mikleo had been pleased to learn that he was quite knowledgeable about the art, and even knew a bit about the history surrounding the pieces too.

The curator was a young woman with resonance enough to see them, even if they ‘still looked a bit fuzzy around the edges.’  She had been over the moon when Mikleo mentioned that he would be interested in staying for a few weeks to study the pieces further.  He also hadn’t missed the happiness on Uno’s face as he laid out plans to extend his stay, or the way he had felt warm in response.

As the sun began to go down and the museum closed up, Mikleo and Uno had wandered back into the city.  For a little while the streets had been full with the traffic of people heading back home or out to the pubs of the city.  A few times someone had recognized Uno and waved to them.  Then the crowds had tapered off and the two of them eventually found themselves sitting side by side on the city wall above the water wheel.  The creaking sound as it turned and the rush of flowing water drowned out the other noises of the evening, and the conversations of the few people still strolling by.

It was easy for Mikleo to fall into the sound of his element, and to let time pass in simply listening.  He wondered if Uno was the same; from the way he hadn’t tried to start a new conversation either, Mikleo suspected that was the case.

Eventually though, his thoughts turned back to their afternoon.  He’d spent much of it considering the offer again.  He’d paid careful attention Uno’s fingers wrapped around his own, and to the admiration he felt for the calmness and dignity held in his straight back and shoulders.  He noted the way he found himself smiling when Uno did, and how much he was looking forward to his extended stay, for not only the paintings but the promise of more time spent together.

Finally, he spoke up, breaking the silence of the evening.  “Uno, I would like to try something.”

Uno looked over with a spark of curiosity in his eye and a small, reassuring smile on his face.  Mikleo felt as if he should backpedal then, to make sure his intentions were well laid out.  Uno had been so kind and patient with him, the last thing he would want to do would be to hurt him.

“Before I do I should say that I don’t think I will be able to feel about you the way I do about Sorey.  Is it still alright?”

“That’s fine.  I was well aware when I made my offer.  That’s not what I expect.”

“Okay.”  Mikleo took a deep breath in, preparing for what he had decided to do.  “Okay.”  Before he could lose his nerve, he leaned forward to catch Uno’s lips in a kiss.

It was easier than he had expected, kissing Uno.  It felt warm and comfortable.  There was a rush of affection in Mikleo’s chest as he began to move carefully; how many people would be selfless enough to do this for another?  There had been a part of him missing this kind of touch, and here was someone willing to provide without asking anything in return.

Uno matched him with slow motions, and it felt good.  It wasn’t electrifying or arousing in the same way as it had been with Sorey, but he found himself strangely unbothered by that.  Then he decided he was thinking about this far too much.  He slid closer on the wall, so that they were pressed side-by-side, and brought one hand up to rest on Uno’s knee.  Uno’s hand came up to the middle of his back, and Mikleo smiled into the kiss.

Some moments later, they parted but Mikleo stayed close.  He didn’t feel like moving away just yet.  “Was that alright?” he asked.

“Of course,” Uno replied, and as he spoke his face looked content.  Perhaps that was all they could ask of each other at this point.  “How are you feeling?” he asked in return, while his hand began to rub up and down Mikleo’s back.

“I think I like this,” Mikleo said, and leaned his head down on Uno’s shoulder.  He felt the hand at his back slide around to his side and squeeze him into a half-hug.

“I do too.” 

* * *

It had been noisy in the Sanctuary that afternoon.  Mikleo had arrived in time to find Uno sitting on the steps up to the altar and surrounded by a small group of children, most of whom looked to be younger than ten.  That meant that no matter how interesting the story Uno was telling, it was difficult to keep the entire group quiet.  Uno had looked at him with such relief when he came through the doors that there wasn’t much else for it than to join the circle, offering up his lap to a small boy who seemed unable to sit still otherwise, and his hair to a girl who needed something to do with her hands.  He did his best to not wince as she pulled harder than was strictly necessary and engaged in far more tangling than braiding.

After the stories were done and the children returned to their respective guardians, they had gone to a room off the back of the Sanctuary proper where Mikleo could sit while Uno helped undo the knots.  The feeling of Uno’s gentle fingers against his scalp, hands brushing ever so often against the back of his neck, had reminded Mikleo of part of the reason he had made this particular visit.  He’d been good and patient, and waited until he could be sure that Uno wouldn’t accidentally pull out some of his hair when he turned around in his chair.

He’d slid a hand around the back of Uno’s neck then, and pulled him down into a kiss.  It started simple and light, the way the kisses they had shared a few times now had been, before Mikleo opened his mouth to invite more.  “The rest of that offer, I’d like to take you up on it now,” he’d said in their pauses for breath.

“Please, let’s,” Uno had replied in much the same manner.

They had gone back to the room Mikleo was renting at the Inn, then.  It was much quieter there, with Uno sitting on the edge of the bed and Mikleo standing before him, both waiting in silent anticipation for what the other would do.  The sun was setting outside, casting a golden glow across Uno’s face.  Mikleo finally reached out to touch his cheek with the tips of his fingers, following the line of shadow cast by the edge of the window.  He could feel Uno’s warm breath against his palm as he exhaled at the feeling.  His blue eyes shone with interest.

Mikleo couldn’t help but notice that Uno’s body was built more similarly to his own.  They were nearly the same height now when they stood side by side, and both leaner than heavily muscled.  He had a long slender neck, and Mikleo ran his fingers down the sides of it gently before undoing the clasp on his necklace.  He had never quite been sure if the ornament at the front was a bell or not until that moment, as it rang softly while he set it to the side.

Uno’s hands, too, felt smaller than Sorey’s had been, where they were sliding up his sides and then finally across his chest and onto his shoulders.  They pulled him forward, encouraging him to lean down for a kiss, before sliding down his back.  Mikleo put a knee up on the bed between Uno’s legs for better stability, and obliged.  He kissed him once, twice, softly on the lips before moving down instead to his jaw and then to his neck.

He could hear Uno’s pleased noise as he pressed down harder, became bold and barely grazed the skin with his teeth.  Uno’s hands slipped beneath his shirt, and pressed their way up the plane of his stomach.

Mikleo’s skin felt hot, all the way from his flushed face down to where his body was starting to respond to the touch, to the feeling of warm skin beneath his lips, to the subtle noises Uno made.  It had been so long since he’d been able to indulge in this kind of hunger.  Thus, when he felt something brush between his legs he couldn’t help the gasp that fell from his mouth that then dropped down into a moan as the pressure increased.

He reeled back in surprise at his own voice, and slapped a hand over his mouth.  Uno was also looking at him with surprise on his equally-flushed face, but he suspected the surprise was more from his sudden motion than anything else.  Although it quickly faded into a look of concern.  He took his hands out from under Mikleo’s shirt and lowered his knee – the source of the unexpected touch – before asking, “Are you alright?”

Mikleo nodded, hand still over his mouth.  Then he forced himself to let it drop to his side.  “I j-just didn’t expect…”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have moved so fast.  Remember, we can stop at any time.  We should only do this if it’s what you really want.”

“I don’t want to stop,” Mikleo said.  “I startled myself more than anything.  It felt good.”

“Are you sure?” Uno asked one last time.

Instead of immediately speaking, Mikleo shifted so he could put a knee on either side of Uno’s hips and lowered himself onto his lap.  “Yes.”

 

One-hundred and forty-seven years – that was how long it had been since the last time Mikleo woke with another’s arms around his bare waist.  He knew the exact number because the last, the last had been Sorey.  It didn’t bother him in the way he had expected.  Part of him still managed to worry about his lack of worry, but the rest of him had truly found peace with what they had done.  He had enjoyed himself, and that was alright.

There was a heavy sort of relaxation in his limbs that he’d forgotten.  And an ache in his muscles that he’d definitely forgotten, but felt so good.

He turned over carefully, doing his best to not wake his bed-mate.  He had never gotten to see Uno asleep before, had seen no indication prior to this that he even did indulge in sleep.  Uno’s face was slack, and framed gently by his loose hair.  

That was another sight Mikleo had not seen before either, until he had reached up to undo his ponytail with his own fingers the night before.  Memory of the way Uno had groaned when Mikleo had tugged lightly at the strands, washing over his own sharp gasps, echoed in his head.  He was suddenly even gladder that Uno wasn’t awake yet to see him flush.

He waited a moment to collect himself, and then decided that the most favorable course of action was to stay in bed longer, warm and sleepy.  He nestled further into the blankets and closed his eyes again.

It wasn’t long before Uno shifted beside him.  Mikleo felt a hand press between his shoulder blades, pulling him closer.  “Good morning,” Uno said in a voice blurred by sleep.

“Good morning,” Mikleo mumbled in reply.

The fingers of the hand at his back curled up so that Uno could press them lightly across the bumps of his spine.  “How are you doing?  Do you want anything?  Water, or maybe some breakfast?”

Mikleo propped himself up quickly on one elbow so Uno could appreciate his unimpressed look as he said, “Water, really?”  Uno just laughed.  Mikleo gave him a huff and a pout, and then dropped back down to the mattress so he could nudge his head under Uno’s chin.  “Breakfast sounds nice though, but not for a little while yet.”

Uno nodded, which Mikleo felt against the top of his head, and continued to rub his fingers lightly across his back.  Mikleo could sense the bit of healing carried at his fingertips, seeking out any knots in his muscles and smoothing them away.

“You know, I don’t think I ever said thank you.”

“What for?” Uno asked.

“All of it, really.  For listening, for being there when I’m lonely, for this.”

“I was happy to do it,” Uno replied, and pressed a kiss to the top of Mikleo’s head, before both of them fell quiet.

It was languid and peaceful in the silence.  But instead of feeling sleepy again, Mikleo couldn’t help but become increasingly aware of the warmth of Uno’s hand, and the bareness of their bodies, and how from the spot where he lay it was easy to see the handful of marks he had left down Uno’s neck and across his collar.  “I also kind of want more,” he admitted.  “I’m strange for a seraph, aren’t I?”

Uno was silent for a moment, in a way that Mikleo had come to recognize as gathering his thoughts and deciding on the best way for him to speak.  “Perhaps, but I can’t say I’ve spoken with enough other seraphim about this to generalize.  For me, I have not felt so much that I need sex, or that something is missing if it isn’t there.  But, if it is a possibility, it is something I enjoy.”

“So you’ve had other partners then?”

Mikleo suspected as such; Uno had known what he was doing the night before.  But it was an interesting subject, and not one he got to speak with many seraphim about.  Aside from Zaveid, who pushed stories onto him whether he wanted them or not, but he always assumed that Zaveid was just strange on all fronts.

“Some, yes,” Uno answered.  He didn’t ask the obvious next question, but instead waited to see if Mikleo wanted to talk about it or not.

“For me it was only Sorey.  We were so young, and barely knew what we were doing.  Only that we loved each other and wanted to express it in every way we could.”

To his credit, Uno didn’t offer any sympathy; he knew it wasn’t what Mikleo wanted.  Instead, he said, as resolute as can be, “He’ll be back some day.”

Mikleo shifted back at that point, so he could meet Uno’s eyes when he asked, “And you’re okay with that?  That this thing we’re starting has an end date?”

“As I’ve said before, I knew what I was getting myself into.  Though in the meantime, if you would like more, we certainly can.”  His hand slid down from where it had been playing with the ends of Mikleo’s hair, to trace his spine at his lower back.

Mikleo let himself deliberately arch into the touch.  “I would very much like that,” he said.  He reached up a hand of his own to card through Uno’s hair.  Uno smiled contentedly at the sensation and then leaned forward for a kiss.


End file.
